Vic and Kuina left the Isshin Dojo without making any earth-shattering moves to get to Kozaburo's place.
As soon as the two left, a chorus of questions arose in the training ground. When the master, disciple, father, and daughter met, quite a few disciples had gathered to watch. The two had such outstanding appearances and demeanors that they were clearly among the strongest.
They never expected that these two people were their senior brother and the dojo master's daughter, who was also their senior sister. For the unassuming kendo dojo located next to a small village, this was already Big News Morgans.
They were naturally most interested in the disciples who left the dojo; otherwise, so many people wouldn't have admired and tried to imitate Zoro after seeing him in the newspapers and on his bounty posters.
Therefore, they were particularly curious about the two who were clearly strong. Vic graduated from his training very early, and these disciples had no idea that Vic came from a kendo dojo.
Although Kuina is very strong now, she has been practicing swordsmanship with Vic and is not very famous in the Grand Line. In the remote East Blue, information is even more scarce.
It was only recently that Morgans ' Seagull team expanded, which led to the increase in the newspaper's size, including ordinary people from Four Blues in its client list. However, the previous news could no longer be considered news, and given Vic's low profile and seclusion, his photo would not appear in the newspaper. Therefore, these kids did not recognize Vic and Kuina.
Ignoring the chatter inside the dojo, Vic and Kuina headed towards the blacksmith's shop deep in the forest. They had walked this path countless times; they could reach their destination even with their eyes closed.
Before the two even arrived, they heard the clanging of metal being forged. Kozaburo's love for this trade was truly profound; even at his age, he couldn't let go of it. Did he perhaps still intend to forge a Supreme Great Grade Sword before he died?
Even with Vic's current strength and countless intelligence, it's difficult to gather top-grade forging metals. Those top-grade metals are truly rare; once used, they're gone. In the past, many mediocre blacksmiths have wasted a lot of top-grade forging materials.
As for the place with abundant top-grade metals that Allen mentioned last time, Vic still hasn't found it. It's really hard to find when the information is unclear. There are too many strange and unusual islands on the Grand Line, and that place is difficult for ordinary people to reach. Even a reputable crew would have a hard time finding it. Vic can only find that place on his own.
Grandpa! I've come back to see you!
When Kuina arrived at the blacksmith shop, she seemed much more relaxed. Vic could clearly sense that Koshiro's words had still had a significant impact on Kuina, even though she was now a super strong swordswoman and had not yet come to terms with it!
This knot in her heart will probably be hard to untie in a while unless she becomes the new World's Greatest Swordsman. Vic also wants to eliminate any rift between the father and daughter, but Kuina's mind is now so firm that she is not so easy to change. We can only take it slowly.
"Who is it? Is this a little girl who's lost in the forest? We need to get her back right away! Since Vic left, there have been many more wild beasts in the forest. It's too dangerous for a little girl to wander alone. She must be taken back!"
Upon hearing the unfamiliar girl's voice, Kozaburo quickly put down his work and walked out of the blacksmith shop with a worried expression, muttering to himself. He never imagined that it would be his own granddaughter returning.
Girls' voices change as they grow up, and it's normal for someone his age to be called "Grandpa." But Kozaburo was stunned when he walked out of the blacksmith shop. A very familiar smiling face and a somewhat familiar pretty face appeared before him.
In an instant, Kozaburo realized whose somewhat familiar face it was, and then he froze on the spot. The surprise came too suddenly, and his old body didn't even have time to react.
Grandpa! I've come back to see you!
Kuina was also very excited and rushed over to hug Kozaburo. Tears finally welled up in her eyes. She was only 11 years old when she left her father and grandfather, still an innocent and carefree little girl. Ten years had passed since then. How could she not miss her family?
It was Kuina's unwavering resolve that made her finally reveal her girlish side upon seeing her beloved grandfather. Other girls would have cried and begged to go home long ago.
" Kuina! Vic! You've finally come back to see me! I thought I'd never see you again!"
Kozaburo's eyes were also filled with tears. The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is no joke. Kozaburo may not be very fond of his son Koshiro, but he definitely loves Kuina.
If Kuina had died as she did in the original story, Kozaburo would certainly have been heartbroken, but he wouldn't have had any other thoughts. Once a person dies, they're dead!
But now that Kozaburo knows that Kuina is still alive, yet they have been separated for ten years, his longing for her has piled up like a mountain, and he even harbors some resentment towards Koshiro, the one who started it all.
If it weren't for Koshiro's ideas, Kuina wouldn't have followed Vic out of Shimotsuki Village to prove herself. Now that he saw the grown-up Kuina, Kozaburo naturally couldn't hold back anymore. He cried and patted Kuina's back. He didn't look like a master swordsmith at all; he looked more like an old man longing for family affection.
It took Kozaburo a long time to calm himself down. He released Kuina from his arms, covered his face and wiped away his tears. When he lowered his arm from his face, you could still see a hint of embarrassment on his face. As people get older, they become more emotional, and it was nothing more than that when it came to his own granddaughter.
"Hey bro! Let's go back to the gym. Kuina's finally back, let's all get together and have a good time. Her father's waiting for her."
Seeing a hint of embarrassment on Kozaburo's face, Vic quickly changed the subject, saying, "The old man is showing some emotion and seems a little embarrassed, which is kind of cute. But we can't waste any more time here; Koshiro is still eagerly waiting at the dojo."
"Yes, Grandpa! Let's go back to the dojo. I'll be staying there for the next few days, so Grandpa can stay there too!"
Kuina chimed in, saying that she had heard from her father that her grandfather was still forging swords at his age, and she didn't want him to work so hard. She was staying at the dojo these past few days so she could find a reason for her grandfather to rest for a few days.
" Vic! Your knife!"
However, Kozaburo seemed to be distracted by something and didn't hear his granddaughter's words at all. He rushed to Vic's side, staring intently at the two swords at Vic's waist, his face full of excitement, and asked Vic uncertainly.
"That's right, just what you think!"
Vic drew the Blood Wither and Allen from his waist and handed them to Kozaburo. Kozaburo reached out and took the two swords with trembling hands, his face solemn. He hesitated, his right hand resting on the hilt of the Dragon Blade, unsure whether he should draw the blade to see if it contained the ultimate goal that the swordsmith yearned for.
Although a blacksmith's ultimate goal is to forge a Supreme Great Grade Sword, in the eyes of those blacksmiths who have forged Supreme Great Grade Sword, the Black Blade is their secret ultimate goal.
Because the number of Black Blade is even fewer than that of the Supreme Great Grade Sword, and they are indestructible and can be passed down forever, they are weapons that blacksmiths want to forge but can never create. They can only rely on powerful swordsmen to help them realize their dreams!
It's important to know that the Black Blade Shusui is National Treasure of Wano Country, so for Kozaburo, a descendant of a sword-making family in Wano Country, it was naturally extremely exciting. Although he didn't forge these two swords himself, he taught Vic his sword-making skills, so the feeling was naturally different.
"It really is Black Blade! And... there are two of them! This... this... is too rare!"
Kozaburo finally drew the blades of both swords, and was overwhelmed with excitement as he looked at the Black Blade with the familiar blade pattern!
Wano Country is a country with a tradition of Black Blade, but even in such a country, there is only one Black Blade, Ryuma's Shusui, after all these years. You can imagine how rare Black Blade are. Now he has two in his hands, how could he not be excited? Fortunately, his body was healed by Vic, otherwise he really would have fainted.